Israel: Nature

April 13, 2017

Though the Jewish calender is lunar, and thus isn't static like the Gregorian calender, there is one thing that is a given: Passover must always occur in the Spring, yippee! In order to make this happen we even have to insert an entire extra month some years, and that extra month is always a second month of Adar, which is right before Nissan, the month in which Passover occurs. Why am I telling you this? Because one of my very favorite things to do during the week of Passover is to take some trips around Northern Israel, not far from home, to enjoy the gorgeous topography and to witness fields of wild flowers in bloom, up close and in person.........something everyone should experience!

It is true, the flowers are on their own schedule, so the blooming period doesn't always coincide exactly with our plans, but this year, well, I had to squeal with delight as I saw little bushes of actual red poppies (as opposed to the red anemones that bloomed a good month ago.....) dotting the roadside hills all day long. I asked my husband if he would stop for me to photograph them, but that didn't really work out, instead I took a few photos to share with you when we arrived at our first stop.

Today we took a lovely road trip and saw some amazing holy sites, which I will share with you next week, but in the mean time I'll give you a sneak peak with a little flower show......hello red poppies!

March 10, 2017

Two days ago my daughter called to me "Mommy, come quickly!" you won't believe it! To our great delight we witnessed the largest group of migrating cranes flying overhead. Not one group exactly but three, one after the other, each one larger than groups of cranes we generally see every Spring and Fall as they make their journey to and from Europe. I have shared our little observation of migrating cranes many times, and honestly, I still get just as excited as I did the first time I saw these magnificent creature migrating over Jerusalem when we lived there. And when you realize how large these birds actually are, it is even more amazing.......

February 27, 2017

Yesterday when I took a walk with my son in the nearby fields, thinking that I was going to photograph some Almond blossoms, I was surprised to find that our native red anemones, that everyone just calls poppies, are also in bloom, which is so very exciting every time! Dots of red peeking out from new green growth of Spring is so very lovely, and I know so many of you love getting a glimpse of nature here in Israel, up close and in person, so here we go!

February 26, 2017

On Rosh Chodesh, the first day of each Jewish month, my kids have a half day of school, meaning it is the perfect time to take a little nature walk, and especially since Spring is here, and this month is Adar, a very joyful one indeed, and walking in nature surely gives us joy. As it turned out, only my 11 year old was actually available to go with Mom, and while there were delays as always, I'm glad we made the effort to get out the door, and taking photos as the sun is going down can be quite lovely!

Every year I post photos of the almond trees in bloom because it is truly magnificent and their blooms are the first sign of spring, which is always exciting. My son was so happy to get his bike out after a few months of rain and cold, and I was just happy to be out! I hope you'll enjoy my photos, and of course, any time I set out with camera in hand there are many things to capture, so this is just the first post with photos from our walk.

July 22, 2016

Yesterday evening when I was walking to my vegetable carving class, just a ten or so minute walk from my house, I suddenly came upon a few huge rambilng pomegranate trees full of not quite full size fruit, but getting there. Such an amazing sight that I had to stop and take a few photos to share with you! It is truly special to witness up close and in person the cycle of the fruit baring trees and vines that grow in our neighborhood, like pomegranates, grapes, olives, and of course almonds!

April 24, 2016

There is truly no sight quite as breathtaking as a flock of migrating white storks flying overhead! We saw a few of these twice yearly visitors on Shabbat, over our home, and today when we were on a small road trip in the area we witnessed several large flocks of white storks, and it was truly exciting, as always. I don't think I'll ever tire of spotting these migrating storks as they make their way home for nesting in Northern Europe, (in the Spring) or as they head down to Africa for the winter. There is just something so truly amazing about them, especially since they are quite large!

We often see them circling, (either as a way of resting in flight, or attempting to find a resting spot on land) or flying on a path as you can see in these photos, which is as close as I could get with my lens. Time to invest in something with a bit more range I do think!

February 09, 2016

Wishing everyone a Chodesh Tov, (a good month) on this first day of the Jewish month of Adar! Adar is a month of great joy and so it only seems fitting that I share with you these gorgeous photos of the first almond blossoms that I saw today while out on a little hike with my boys. When the almond trees bloom in both pink and white, it is truly a spectacular sight around our city here in Northern Israel, and the first sign that Spring is on its way! Personally, no matter what else is going on, just one glimpse of these flowering trees and it just makes me so happy!

April 06, 2015

Ah yes, spring is here in Northern Israel, and just in time for all to enjoy as many families take to the great outdoors during this week's Passover holiday. Today, the first intermediary day of Passover in Israel, called chol hamoed, was marked with a community trip to a nearby farming community to observe the special mitzvah of bircat hailanot, the blessing over blooming fruit trees. The blessing is made in order to give thanks to our creator for giving us fruit, something we tend to take for granted, right? And what better time or place to remember to be grateful for even the things that seem so simple!

May 09, 2014

Around noon today, just as my kids were coming home from school (Friday is half-day) we had the wonderful pleasure of witnessing another group of migrating white storks very close to our home. This year they have decided to snack on a grassy hill (and then tell their friends about it) not far from our home, so exciting!